On a day that was in many ways dedicated to Super Bowl MVP and Los Angeles legend Cooper Kupp, the LA Rams wide receiver paid tribute to another of the city's heroes.
Kupp hoisted the Lombardi trophy at the Rams Super Bowl victory parade and rally, and was gifted one of three keys to the City of LA, while wearing a No. 8 Lakers jersey -- one of Kobe Bryant's numbers.
The homage to LA's beloved NBA player, who died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas just over two years ago, was made even more poignant by Kupp's words on stage during the Rams rally.
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"I'm standing here in this city that knows nothing but championship," Kupp said at the podium, holding the Super Bowl championship trophy. "Kobe's a part of this."
"He set the standard," Kupp said.
Bryant, an icon in the world of basketball and in Los Angeles at large, received an outpouring of fan tributes when he died. That's in part because he was a devoted father, a humanitarian, an entrepreneur and a good Samaritan in addition to a skilled athlete.
It seems, if Kupp has anything to say with it, there will be Mamba tributes for years to come.
